It’s a funny thing but I actually believe that there is such a thing as emergent missional living. I am running into more and more people who are becoming absolutely convinced that what James talks about in his wonderful book concerning the combination of faith and works is the only acceptable way for the follower of Jesus to live missionally. There is growing concern being expressed in the conversations that I am having with pastors that there is a desperate need for the people who say they love Jesus and say that they want to serve him . . . get out of the building, get out of the pre-programmed church program designed for people in the church who love programs, and get into the street and start talking with people; and talk with people about what is important to THEM, not what is important to you. We have to get beyond agendas. If every time we try to create a relationship with someone there is a self-centered agenda tied to beginning the relationship, then stay home.
You think people can’t see through our self serving attempts to be their “friend.” Come on, how many telemarketers are you having dinner with this weekend. Same deal – people can sense phoniness a mile away. I have a relatively new friend who runs the local liquor, grocery in our neighborhood. We established our relationship on genuine interest in one another . . . no agenda, no plan, no four spiritual laws, however our friendship evolved into talking about deeper stuff like spirituality and end times and things like that; it happened naturally and because we are friends we trust what one another has to say about things of this nature. We now talk regularly about spiritual issues and it is he, my friend who initiates these conversations. This is emergent missional living, we are beginning to emerge from the world of program and agenda into genuine relating with other people just because they are other people. I am quite happy with that program.
As some friends like to say . . . Jesus has left the building!
